What you're watching

HBO's 'Luck' investigated for treatment of horses

February 6, 2012 | 4:33
pm

HBO's "Luck," which examines the world of thoroughbred racing and betting, has been investigated due to charges of mistreatment of horses.

The New York Observer reported that the show came under scrutiny after reports that two horses broke their legs during production and had to be euthanized. The pilot of the series, which premiered last month, contains a scene in which a horse breaks its leg during a race and has to be put to sleep.

The network told the Observer that the horse filmed in that race in the pilot was not actually harmed, but another horse in that episode was euthanized after its leg fractured. The other horse death occured during the filming of the seventh episode.

The American Humane Assn.'s usual seal of approval declaring that "No animals were harmed" did not appear during the pilot or another later episode, the Observer said. Those two episodes just contained the statement that the "American Humane Association monitored the animal action."

The Observer reported that the humane association has restored certification to the series after HBO worked with the association to develop additional safety measures. Those protocols included the hiring of an additional veterinarian and radiology of the legs of all horses used in production."